Anarchist Gardners 2, Book Festivals, Nil.

The Edinburgh Book Festival is foolish to refuse sponsorship from Baillie Gifford

And the latest score in the literary festival culture wars is Anarchist Gardeners, 2 ; Book Festivals, Nil.  The Edinburgh International Book Festival  has joined the Hay Literary Festival in cancelling its seven figure sponsorship deal with the investment group Baillie Gifford. This follows pressure from campaigners in Fossil Free Books (FFB) one of whose leading organisers is the “anarchist gardener” Ellen Miles.

Now here’s a question for the authors and activists who back this boycott on the grounds that Baillie Gifford has some modest investments in fossil fuels. The Edinburgh Book Festival receives more than £400.000 from the Scottish Government via Creative Scotland and the Expo fund. This is the self-same government that has only recently abandoned its legally-binding emissions targets, has ejected the Green Party from the coalition and has lobbied to have the windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas cut.  So why are environmental activists not gluing themselves to the doors of St Andrews House?